On a water-and-alcohol diet? Extreme weight loss trend among K-drama stars raises concerns

South Korean actress Kim Ji-won has sparked fresh discussion after her appearance at a luxury brand event in Milan. The actress, best known for her roles in Descendants of the Sun, The Heir, and Queen of Tears, looked noticeably slimmer, sparking conversations online.

Other stars, such as Ha Ji-won and Park Min-young, also appeared visibly thinner in their recent pictures, further fueling conversations about body image standards in the Korean entertainment industry. There are heated debates online about these beauty standards.

Kim Ji-won looks unrecognizable, according to netizens

A Reddit user couldn’t recognize Kim Ji-won after her weight loss transformation. “This is Kim Ji Won???!!! It just doesn't look like her, no matter how hard I stare at the pictures,” wrote one on a forum. Some even wondered if the actress went under the knife. “Weight loss is definitely a factor. But if I have to guess, something about the eyes too. Maybe eye corner surgery, but I’m not sure which one, inner or outer,” wrote another Reddit user. One argued that the transformation was solely because of weight loss. “She seemed to have lost even more weight, and her HMU doesn't match her appearance. This is her departing Korea; I don't think she did anything except lose weight.” Another argued that the extreme weight loss trend is not exclusive to the Korean industry. “I don't think we should make generalized statements like that. The film and music industry everywhere is seeing trends of glorifying weight loss. I don't think it is limited to Korea,” the Reddit comment read.

Ha Ji-won’s transformation is for her role

Ha Ji-won's transformation, on the other hand, is entirely deliberate. The actress shed a few kilos for her role in the ENA drama Climax. She wanted to look far from her natural athletic and healthy image for the role, so she consciously reduced muscle mass and ramped up workouts to become leaner. Speaking on Sung Si-kyung's YouTube show, she spoke about her transformation. “When people think of me, they think of a healthy image. I changed my body on purpose. I did intense workouts and reduced muscle mass to look more fragile and sensitive.”

The actress also revealed that the process was extremely challenging. “Erasing myself was harder than acting.” Her transformation made headlines after she appeared at the press conference on March 10.

Park Min-young’s case

Another actress who is in the spotlight for her extreme weight loss is Park Min-young. She also revealed that the transformation was for a role. For her previous film, Marry My Husband, she shed 37 kilograms. She had to play a terminally ill character, as reported by The Korea Times. The actress followed the same look in her latest film, Siren. “If I gained weight, it would feel strange for the role, so I ended up only consuming water and alcohol. During filming, I drank about 3 liters of water a day,” she said. The actress returned to her normal routine once she wrapped the film.